All posts by Lisa Hoppe

I have been a full time Systems Analyst at Parkland College since 1999. I also teach a variety of group fitness classes around town, some of them at the college. I enjoy dancing, knitting, and spending time with my little dogs. I want to encourage people to exercise and learn new things. I intend to present various topics through my blog entries.

I have been practicing yoga for over 10 years. I have loved it since my first practice. About five years ago, I decided to become a yoga instructor. Having a regular yoga practice has many benefits. Instead of telling you why I think you should take my yoga class, I recruited my Tuesday evening class to share why they practice yoga at Parkland:

I take yoga for balance, strength, and relaxation… something I can do just for me. 🙂

After sitting at a desk all day, it is so beneficial to my body and mind to come to yoga class and stretch, de-stress, and gain strength.

Good for strengthening and stretching.

No matter how sore or still you may be, after a yoga session, you will feel incredible—mentally and physically!

It’s relaxing.

The poses I have learned in this class have helped me improve my balance, strength, and flexibility. The class itself is a nice escape from the stresses of a long day at work. I love it!

Yoga is an awesome class—after class, I feel so relaxed and energized.

Relaxing, fun, and good energy! Great way to calm, de-stress, and build strength. Knowledgeable and fun instructor.

It’s fun, relaxing, helps you stretch muscles you haven’t used in a long time.

Yoga helps with improvement of balance and flexibility.

It seems that Tuesdays are very hectic at work. Some days, I feel like skipping, but am soooo thankful when I come! I feel better physically and mentally. Love yoga!

For balance. As you age, that’s the first thing that goes.

Lisa creates a great environment. I look forward to coming and de-stressing.

****A NEW Flow Yoga session starts Tuesday, May 26! Register NOW with Community Education: 217/353-2055.

I love to work out early in the morning. The best thing about it is that anything can happen during the day, and it is not going to get in the way of you getting your daily dose of exercise because you have already done it.

Parkland College offers a Boot Camp class through Community Education. It meets on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 6 to 7 a.m. with instructor Peg Olson. I have had the opportunity to fill in for Peg on occasion, and it is a great group of people who are very welcoming to newcomers.

Student Lynda Ramirez has taken many exercise classes with Parkland College, and she loves Boot Camp. Here’s what Lynda had to say about the Boot Camp class:

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Boot Camp had always intrigued me, but I didn’t think I was good enough to try it out. I met someone who was taking the class and found the courage to try it. That was more than a year ago! I regret that it took so long to find the courage, and wish that I had started a long time ago.

Boot Camp has something to offer everyone, no matter what the age, gender, fitness level or lack of fitness. Each person can work at their own ability level and put as much or as little into as they want; however, Peg Olson is able to bring out the best in everyone. The class is challenging for everyone, from the P90X guy to the person working out for the first time. Peg teaches modifications for every activity so that everyone can participate.

Boot Camp covers all types of fitness activities, both strength and cardio. Peg focuses on activities that incorporate as many muscle groups as possible. We don’t just do squats and lunges; we do them with a body bar held out in front of us. We don’t just run around the gym; we do it holding a weight over our heads. We don’t just do sit-ups; we do them with our feet up in the air holding a ball between our ankles. Peg never fails to find a way to make an activity more challenging!

I know that Boot Camp has made me a better person in many ways. I have made many friends and worked harder than I ever dreamed I could. At the age of almost 62, I can truly say that I am fitter and healthier than ever before. I have achieved goals that I didn’t think were possible. I will keep coming back every semester as long as I can. Fitness is important to every person, but I can attest that the older you get the more important it is. Exercise in the “second half” of life is no longer an option — it is a job. I want to be in the same wonderful shape as my mother who is 88 years old and walked eight miles with me last week.

Boot Camp is more than an exercise class. It is a family. The camaraderie is a major reason to keep coming back. New people are welcomed every semester and quickly made to feel part of the group. Everyone is encouraging and motivating. We celebrate each other’s successes. No one is more motivating and encouraging than Peg.

Boot Camp is a wonderful way to start the day. I feel like I accomplish more before 7 a.m. than a lot of people do in a day or even a week! I sometimes dread getting out of bed, but nothing beats the great feeling of making it through another class and the pride that I feel.

I moved into a new house last year, and it quickly became apparent that I could use a shed. After asking around about where to get a shed, I decided to purchase one from Parkland College. Everyone had nothing but good things to say about them.

The sheds are built as part of the CIT 115 course with Greg Walburg. The course is part of Construction Design and Management, Construction Design and Management: Contracting, and the Building Construction and Repair programs.

CIT Instructor: Dustin Stuart graduated with honors from Parkland in May 2014 with a degree in Construction Design and Management: Contracting. He is currently working for a remodeling contractor here in CU and is also a Teacher’s Assistant at Parkland for CIT 115. I asked him about his experience in the course and if he had any advice for students thinking about going into one of the Construction programs at Parkland College. This is what he told me:

“It was two years ago this semester that I started my program and CIT 115 was my favorite class that semester. I had previous knowledge of contracting work, but this class helped greatly in turning me into a professional. The most valuable lessons I learned from this class was how to read and interpret construction plans, teamwork, and project management.

In CIT 115, you get to experience home building basics in a comfortable lab environment with plenty of tools at your disposal. This is a dream vacation in comparison to getting your education on the roof of a house on a 90 degree day in July. In addition to the excellent lab space you have experienced teachers and students to help guide you along.

The only advice I could offer new students considering this degree is to just do it! Todd Horton and Greg Walburg are excellent teachers that care a lot about their students and their success. Every time I walked into one of their offices to ask about homework, a project, or even personal advice they always took the time to speak with me. You meet a lot of excellent students as well in this program. I still keep in touch both personally and professionally with most of my class mates. In addition to being a great program, Parkland is an excellent school. They have so many programs in place to help you succeed and a staff and faculty that are top notch.”

Join the Zumba dance party at Parkland! Here’s a fun way to get a great workout and meet new people. Think it’s not for you? Think again! Here are seven good reasons to join us!

Each Zumba workout contains a mix of different music styles: Salsa, merengue, hip-hop, cumbia, bachata, samba, cha cha, and more.

You don’t have to worry about being a good dancer. Just do your best and have fun!

I keep the songs in the class playlist for 6-8 weeks. As you attend more classes, you will get practice and feel more comfortable with the choreography.

Zumba burns 310 – 465 calories in a 60-minute class. If you move less, you burn less. If you move more, you burn more.

My Zumba class can be easily modified to have no jumping or fast turns. There are always people who enjoy low-impact Zumba in my Parkland class.

I add a new song each week to keep it fresh. I always give tips or do a preview of new songs.

We have space in Zumba at Parkland College for YOU!

Zumba is a noncredit class that meets on Mondays from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Our next session for fall starts October 27 and ends December 8. Call Community Education to register: 217/353-2055.
If you want more information, you can visit my Zumba page. You can also visit the official Zumba website for information. See you soon!